What Type of Fireplace Emits the Most Heat: Gas or Wood? | Celco Heating and Air Conditioning (2024)

FAQs

What Type of Fireplace Emits the Most Heat: Gas or Wood? | Celco Heating and Air Conditioning? ›

So the question is not so much which one emits more heat; it's which one prevents the loss of more heat. In this regard, the gas fireplace clearly comes out on top. However, we cannot deny the greater pleasure people get from the crackling sound and wonderful aromas of a wood fireplace.

A modern furnace is more efficient in turning gas into heat than a gas fireplace. This means that although a furnace costs more to run per hour than a gas fireplace, it turns more of that energy into heat and can warm a whole house rather than a single room.

Gas Fireplace or Insert

It's more cost effective, energy efficient and environmentally friendly. A gas fireplace or insert will convert up to 80% of energy into heat. And it's even powerful enough to heat a large living space, keeping it warm and cozy for longer periods of time.

Ventless gas fireplaces emit the highest amount of heat with 100% efficiency and are eco-friendly. They have the look and feel of a traditional fireplace, but don't require a chimney. Instead, heated air is recirculated around the room and back into the fireplace keeping the space warm and cozy.

The answer is yes to both! Some gas fireplaces are designed to add atmosphere, such as ventless fireplaces. However, most can create a significant amount of heat in your home. A gas fireplace can heat a room, with heat output ranging from 10,000 to 37,000 BTU.

However, if your goal is to heat your home and not just a room, your fireplace won't be nearly as efficient. Technically, gas fireplaces are usually cheaper to run than a furnace, but that doesn't mean they're better. This is because a furnace is better at turning gas into heat than a fireplace is.

Gas fireplaces that run on natural gas: They cost $1.20 to operate for 4 hours, $2.40 for 8 hours, $3.60 for 12 hours, and $7.20 for 24 hours. Gas fireplaces that use propane: These fireplaces cost $2.40 to run for 4 hours, $4.80 for 8 hours, $7.20 for 12 hours, and $14.40 for 24 hours.

Low Running Costs - A gas fire is a great choice to heat your home or living room and can be much cheaper than using an electric fire. They offer fewer maintenance complications when compared to a wood burner and don't demand the large storage space for fuel as a log store would.

Compared to a fireplace, a furnace is a more efficient heating system. A high-efficiency gas furnace has an efficiency rating of 90-98%, which means up to 98% of the heat generated is used to warm up the entire house. Electric furnaces are also efficient, with a rating of 95-100%.

Ash: Low Smoke and Efficient Flames

Ash is another excellent option for your indoor fireplace. This type of wood produces a high amount of heat.

How do I make my fireplace radiate more heat? ›

Install a fireback: A fireback is a reflector, usually made from some sort of metal, that is installed on the back wall of a fireplace. This acts to reflect heat from the fire back into the room, amplifying the warming effect and retaining heat that would otherwise have been lost up your chimney or flue.

Face the fan into the opening of your fireplace. Seal off the open areas around the fan using cardboard and tape. Open your dampener completely, allowing for a wide channel of air to escape. Turn the fan on and marvel at how cool your home gets.

Overall, gas fireplaces are highly efficient when it comes to heating a room. Once a fire has been burning for some time, it's likely to heat a room rather quickly. The type of gas fireplace you have is likely to affect the fireplace's ability to heat a room efficiently.

Clearly, a gas fireplace is the way to go if ease of use, low maintenance, and safety are your top priorities.

The standard fireplace is among the most inefficient heating devices you can operate. In fact, it can be so inefficient that in some cases it actually makes your house colder. Inefficiency is not their only drawback.

Choosing to turn on a gas fireplace or a gas furnace really depends on what you want to accomplish. Usually it is more fuel efficient to have the fireplace on because it doesn't lose any heat traveling through ductwork, but that also means the heat is localized and won't warm the entirety of a large house.

Specifications such as standing pilot versus non-standing pilot (IPI), BTU output, hours of use and fuel type will all play a factor. With that said, the average cost to run a natural gas fireplace is approximately $0.70/hour or about $60/year, while propane costs approximately $2.30/hour or $200/year.

The amount of gas a gas fireplace uses depends on several factors, including the size and type of fireplace, how often it is used, and how long it is used each time—generally speaking. However, most gas fireplaces use between 10,000 and 25,000 BTUs (British Thermal Units) per hour.

New gas fireplaces are incredibly efficient. When equipped with an Intellifire ignition system, a gas fireplace will provide an ignition flame only when needed and has a battery backup system that supplies power to spark the ignition flame in the event of a power outage. This means even more energy and cost savings.